Howell Township, Michigan
Looking for a Howell Township home inspector? We do certified home, commercial, mold and radon inspections in Howell Township, seven days a week. Home inspection reports come back in 24 hours.
Schedule your inspectionCall 734-331-3269
Services
For buyers, sellers, and homeowners keeping an eye on the place they already own. On new construction we also do pre-drywall inspections and 11-month builder’s warranty inspections. Our certified inspectors walk every major system in your Howell Township home and tell you plainly what they found — then put it in a photo-rich digital report within 24 hours.
Following the InterNACHI Standards of Practice:
Included free with every home buyer inspection— and none of them require us to sell your information.
SatisfactionIf you are unhappy with your inspector on the day of the inspection, before you have seen your report, tell us and we will make it right — or you owe us nothing.
30-Day WarrantyA free 30-day Guard home warranty trial, negotiated for you with no obligation. Activate it whenever you are ready.
$100 OffThe buyer’s protection guarantee: if the first home we inspect for you does not make it to the closing table, for any reason, we take $100 off any further home buyer inspection within 30 days of the original.
Optional services at an additional cost — not part of a standard inspection. Tap one to see what it covers.
A camera down the main sewer line, watching its condition from the inside — roots, breaks, bellies and blockages no visual inspection can find. More about sewer scope inspections
The wood-destroying organism report VA buyers are typically asked to provide, on the federal NPMA-33 form. Carried out during the same visit. More about Veterans WDO inspections
Up to five air samples sent to an accredited laboratory, added to the same appointment rather than booked as a second visit. More about mold inspection and testing
View a sample report
Offices, retail, multifamily and warehouses in Howell Township and across Livingston County. Know what condition a building is in before you sign — or stay ahead of problems in the one you already own. Reports in 24 to 72 hours depending on size.
Following the CCPIA commercial standards:
Commonly added to a commercial inspection at additional cost.
Commercial laterals are longer, older and carry more. A camera is the only way to see the condition of the one you are buying. More about sewer scope inspections
Air samples to an accredited laboratory, which matters most in buildings that have sat empty or had a roof or plumbing leak. More about mold inspection and testing
View a sample report
Add either to a Howell Township home or commercial inspection, or book it on its own. We test and we never remediate, so there is nothing to sell you on the back of a result — the number you get is just the number.
Radon measured in house on a professional continuous monitor; mold samples to an accredited laboratory:
The other things worth testing while somebody is already there.
Carried out after remediation on the treated area and the areas next to it, to confirm what was found. More about mold inspection and testing
A damp basement can have several causes, and the buried sewer line is the one a visual inspection cannot check. A scope rules it in or out. More about sewer scope inspections
View a sample reportHowell Township housing stock
Howell Township has roughly 2,980 housing units and about 68% of them are single-family detached. Housing that went up mostly in one era has mostly one era’s problems — which is genuinely useful to know before you buy, because it tells you what to look at first.
Most of it went up in the 2000s — 750 homes, around 25% of the town.
The median owner-occupied home here is valued at $256,300. 90% are owner-occupied, which is high even for this area. There are around 281 manufactured and mobile homes in Howell Township. Those are a different inspection — the questions are about the frame, the anchoring and the skirting rather than a basement.
None of this is a prediction about a particular house. It is where a Howell Township home inspector starts looking in a home of this age, and what we photograph and write up either way.
Housing figures: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 five-year estimates.
When Howell Township was built
67% of homes here run on utility gas, and 85 still heat with oil. If yours is one of them, the tank is the thing to ask about — where it is, and whether it was ever buried. Another 556 use bottled or LP gas.
Local knowledge
Howell Township publishes one instruction we have not seen anywhere else we work: before you have a plumber snake your sewer line, the Township asks that the plumber call the utility first, on the sewer emergency number.
That is worth knowing on the day you move in, not the evening a drain backs up. A blocked line is exactly the situation where somebody picks up the phone to the first plumber who answers, and here there is a call to make before the work starts.
The Township does not publish its reasons on that page, and we are not going to invent them. What we would say is that a rule like that usually exists because something about the system can be damaged by routine drain-clearing — so it is worth asking the utility directly what applies to the specific address you are buying.
Sewer costs here also moved recently. Metered sewer went from $9.00 to $9.32 per thousand gallons, and the flat rate for connections without a water meter went from $36.00 to $46.50 a month, both effective the first of August. The metered rate carries a monthly minimum of $46.50 as well.
The housing is largely modern — 750 units from the 2000s and 554 from the 1990s, with about 54% of the township built since 1990 — and roughly a third of all units are not single-family detached, which is high for a township.
Before you buy
The sewer
The Township’s utilities page sets out the instruction plainly: before having a plumber snake a sewer line, have them call the utility on the sewer emergency number, which is staffed around the clock.
We want to be careful here. The Township states the rule but does not publish the reason for it on that page, and guessing at the reason would be exactly the kind of plausible invention that has no place in a report or on a page like this one. Ask the utility.
What we can say is what it means practically. On a property here, that phone number belongs somewhere findable before you need it, and it is worth telling any plumber you engage that the requirement exists, because they will not necessarily know.
It also raises the value of knowing the condition of your line in advance. A sewer camera inspection carried out before you buy tells you whether there is root intrusion, a crack, a displaced joint, a belly or a partial blockage building up — which is a far better way to find out than a backed-up drain on a winter evening with a rule you had not heard of standing between you and a fix.
The line running from the building out to the main belongs to the owner, and no visual inspection reaches inside it. We will not name a material from a build year, because no authoritative source establishes what Howell Township laterals are generally made of, and a guess in a report is worse than no statement at all. A camera inspection is added to the same appointment rather than booked separately.
Utilities
The Township states that all water customers have meters measuring actual water used, with a monthly ready-to-serve charge that varies by meter size. Sewer is billed either on the meter, at $9.32 per thousand gallons against a monthly minimum of $46.50, or at a flat $46.50 a month for connections that have no water meter.
Both figures moved on the first of August, and the flat rate moved a long way — from $36.00 to $46.50, close to a 29% increase in a single step. The Township published a comparison of local municipal sewer rates and a wastewater financial plan alongside the change; we have not read either, and we are naming them rather than characterizing them.
Two administrative details are worth carrying into a closing. Bills are due on the fifteenth, and unpaid accounts carry a 10% penalty per month, which is steep enough to matter if a bill goes to the wrong address during a move. And the Township requires a final meter read before an account can be closed or finalized, so that needs arranging rather than assuming.
Separate irrigation meters are available for outdoor watering. Because that water does not enter the sanitary sewer, it is billed for water usage only, and installation is arranged through the zoning administrator. On a property with a large irrigated lot that is worth asking about.
None of this is what a home inspection covers. We mention it because it is the kind of local practicality that is genuinely easy to miss when you are buying from outside the township, and because the sewer minimum in particular is a fixed monthly cost that applies whether the house is occupied or not.
The housing
The largest group here is the 750 units from the 2000s, followed by 554 from the 1990s, 487 from the 1970s and 305 from the 2010s. Roughly 54% of the township has been built since 1990, and there is a small older core of 204 units predating 1940.
Modern housing brings a different inspection than an old village core, and the mistake is assuming a newer house needs less looking at. A house from the early 2000s is now twenty to twenty-five years old, which is precisely when the first round of replacements arrives — original roof coverings reaching the end, first water heaters gone or going, and furnaces and air conditioning condensers at the age where the next failure is a replacement rather than a repair.
Decks built with these houses are at the age where ledger attachment, flashing, fasteners and post bases need genuine examination. Grading that was correct at handover has had twenty years of landscaping, settlement and downspout changes since, and on a modern house the basement finishing often conceals the evidence of what that has caused.
Where a property is one of the roughly one in three units that is attached or multi-unit housing, the questions shift again: shared walls and roofs, what the association is responsible for versus the owner, and how consistently the building envelope has been maintained across units rather than just at this one.
On the 1970s stock, the second-largest group, expect aging service panels, original windows at or beyond their service life, second-round roof coverings and insulation reflecting the standards of the day rather than current practice.
Radon testing and mold inspection and testing can be added to any visit, and commercial building inspections to the CCPIA standard are available for commercial property.
Zoning and permits
The zoning department administers and enforces the zoning ordinance, reviews applications and site plans and carries out inspections. The Township publishes its zoning ordinance as a document rather than summarizing requirements on the page, so specific questions go to the zoning administrator.
Township offices run Monday to Thursday, eight to five, and are closed on Fridays. That is a four-day week rather than a short one, but it still argues for raising permit history and zoning questions early in a contingency period rather than late.
A few practical answers the Township publishes are worth knowing. Land splits start with the assessing department. Complaints about junk or derelict vehicles on a neighboring property start with the zoning administrator, who contacts the owner and issues citations where necessary. And, unusually, no burn permit is required — the fire authority asks only that fires be kept in small piles and attended at all times.
That last one catches people out in the opposite direction from usual. Most communities we work in require a permit, so a new owner here may be surprised to find they do not need one, and equally surprised that the conditions attached still apply.
A buyer’s inspection is not a permit search and does not assess zoning compliance. What it does is tell you which parts of a property to ask about, so the questions you take to the Township are specific. We deliver a full written report with photographs, generally the same day, while you still have room to act on what it says.
Local information from Howell Township — utilities, water and sewer rates and the sewer line notification · Howell Township — notice that sewer rates are changing · Howell Township — frequently asked questions, office hours and burn permits · Howell Township — zoning department. Municipal requirements change — verify current details with the municipality.
Radon in Livingston County
Zone 2 is the middle EPA category — the predicted average indoor level across the county sits between 2 and 4 pCi/L.
We place a continuous monitor for 48 hours and read the result on site — no mail-in kit, no lab wait. How radon testing works · Livingston County radon and inspection coverage
Zone from the EPA Map of Radon Zones.
Why choose us
Five reasons people here pick us as their Howell Township home inspector.
Family owned since 2009, more than 16,000 inspections completed and over 2,000 five-star reviews across Michigan. We also handle home buyer inspections, commercial building inspections, mold testing and radon testing.
We do not sell mold remediation or radon mitigation, so there is nothing to gain from a result that comes back bad. The number you get is just the number.
Radon, mold, sewer scope and wood-destroying organism inspections go on the same appointment as the home inspection rather than costing you a second morning.
Most people do, and it is the most useful hour of the whole purchase. Ask anything while we are standing in front of it.
InterNACHI and CCPIA certified, with four Certified Master Inspectors and National Home Inspector Examination passes on the team — none of which Michigan requires. The standards we inspect to are published and you can hold the work against them.
Including weekends, because inspection windows sit on closing dates and closing dates do not care what day it is.
Reviews
I recently hired Trademark for a full home inspection on a new purchase, including sewer scope and radon testing. It was a phenomenal experience from beginning to end. Our inspector, Mitch, did a fantastic job explaining all the findings, and the digital report with photos and videos was superb. Would definitely recommend without hesitation.
Salina HamiltonOak Park, MIWe had Mitch inspect our prospective house and he was amazing. He was thorough, patient to answer my questions and provide feedback on what areas he would recommend having a follow up expert and why. The office was responsive and I was able to book multiple services to be done in the same visit (inspection, radon test, sewer scope).
Chris PlaweckiOak Park, MIThis is one of the finest companies I have come across - that means serious customer service and professionalism. Justin was the inspector and he was very thorough yet very kind to answers all the questions that came in my mind during inspection. He took enough time, no rush, and a very detailed inspection was conducted. Extremely competitive pricing and timing from the company. 100% recommend to anyone looking for any kind of property inspection!!
Chirag R MiyaniMichiganWhat happens
Questions
The Township asks that a plumber call the utility on the sewer emergency number before snaking a sewer line. It does not publish the reason on that page, so ask the utility what applies to your address — and make sure any plumber you engage knows the requirement exists, because they will not necessarily know.
Metered sewer is $9.32 per thousand gallons with a monthly minimum of $46.50, and connections without a water meter pay a flat $46.50 a month. Both rose on the first of August, the flat rate from $36.00 — close to a 29% increase in one step.
Arrange a final meter read. The Township requires one before an account can be closed or finalized. Bills are due on the fifteenth and unpaid accounts carry a 10% penalty per month, which matters if a bill goes astray during a move.
Yes, and more than usual. Knowing the condition of your line in advance is far better than discovering it through a backed-up drain, particularly where there is a notification step between you and a fix. A camera inspection records roots, cracks, displaced joints, bellies and blockages, and is added to the same visit.
No. The fire authority does not require burn permits. It asks only that fires be kept in small piles and attended at all times. That is unusual — most communities we work in do require one — but the conditions still apply.
Monday through Thursday, eight in the morning to five in the afternoon, closed Fridays as well as on federal holidays and some holiday eves. Raise permit and zoning questions early in a contingency period rather than late.
No. A house from the early 2000s is twenty to twenty-five years old, which is exactly when the first round of replacements falls due: original roof coverings, first water heaters, and furnaces and condensers reaching the point where the next failure means replacement.
Yes. Separate meters are available for outdoor watering, and because that water does not enter the sanitary sewer it is billed for water usage only. Installation is arranged through the zoning administrator, and it is worth asking about on a large irrigated lot.
More on cost, timing and what is included on the FAQ page.
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Your local Howell Township home inspector, seven days a week. Home inspection reports in 24 hours.
